Furnace grate and ash-pit.



No. 874,569. PATENTEDDEC. 24 1907.

- G.BUSH.

FURNACE GRATE A'ND ASH PIT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.4,1907.

/ A TTOR/VE Y5 Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES BUSH, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA.

FURNACE GRATE AND ASH-PIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed February 4, 1907. Serial a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BUsI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Furnace Grate and Ash-Pit, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boiler or other furnaces, and it relates more particularly to improvements in grates and ash pits of that class employing a water seal into which the ashes can be shaken or dumped and from which they can be removed without opening the doors or otherwise affectingthe draft.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of apparatus of this character, so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture and keep in repair, thoroughly reliable and efficient in use, and so designed as to enable the fireman to maintain asteady fire without any perceptible delay during the cleaning of the fire, thus insuring a maximum heating effect and economy.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple form of grate and means for supporting the grate sections so that they will dump toward the center of the ash pit, and thus prevent the stoppage of the air or steam ports of the forced draft system discharging into the ash pit.

Another object of the invention is the employment of a simple form of ash pit which is water tight and extends from the bridge wall of the furnace to a suitable distance in front of the furnace so that the cleaning out of the ash pit can be accomplished without the necessity of opening the doors and thereby interfering with the draft.

With these objects in view, and others, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the fire box and ash pit of the furnace. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the fire box. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the fire box and ash pit. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the forward parts of the ash box with the front of the furpreventing nace in elevation and parts thereof broken away.

Corresponding parts in the several views are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the iron front of the furnace, 2 the brick or masonry side walls, and 3 the bridge wall, and the space inclosed by these parts is divided by the grate, designated generally by 4, into a fire .box 5 and ash pit 6. The side walls 2 are provided with ports opening into the ash pit and discharging air or steam under pressure thereinto for inducing a forced %raft, one of said ports being shown at 7 in The bottom of the ash pit 6 is formed into a basin-like structure 8 that extends from the bridge wall 3 to a suitable point forward of the front 1 of the furnace and is preferably made of concrete, cement, or the like, so as to be water tight. 9 of the basin portion of the ash pit are inclined so as to facilitate the removal of the ashes with a shovel. Water is supplied to the ash pit by means of a perforated pipe 10 arranged at the bridge wall 3 slightly below the grate 4, and this pipe extends through one of the side walls of the furnace and connects with a suitable service pipe. The ash pit normally contains water to a height corresponding with the lower edge of the iron front 1 of the furnace, so as 'to form a seal for the air or steam supplied by the force draft system from passing out through the ash pit to the front.

The grate 4 is composed of a plurality of sections 11 of suitable dimensions and shape, and the ends of the sections are provided with journals 12 which bear in transversely extending bars 13 and 14 supported respectively at the bridge wall 3 and front 1. The supporting bar 13 is provided with openings 15 into which the journals of the grate bars enter by a longitudinal movement. The bearings in the front supporting bar 14 are notches 16 into and from which the ournals are engaged and disengaged by a vertical movement. The grate sections are thus removably supported and may be taken out whenever desired. The grate bars are divided into groups, each group being located on opposite sides of the center line of the fire box. The journals of each section are located a slight distance toward the center of the fire box from the longitudinal center line of the The front and rear walls 7 crank, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The iron front 1 is provided with a rectangular opening 18 at its bottom that is normally closed by two sets of double doors 19 and 20 which are hinged to the front 1 to swing outwardly in opposite directions. The upper set of doors 19 have flanges 21 that overlap the bottom set 20 so that the upper set of doors will be thrown open with the bottom set. The doors are provided with grips 22 for conveniently taking hold of them. The doors are locked closed by any suitable device, such, for instance, as a loop or eyes 23, Fig. 4, and a wedge or pin 24 engaging in the eye and bearing against the two doors of the upper set. By means of the overlapping flanges 21, the lower set of doors are locked closed with the upper set. The doors bear against a skeleton-like frame 25 which extends across the opening 18 of the furnace front and is secured to the latter in any desired manner. The upper set of doors 19 are provided with openings 26 disposed in line with the front journals of the grate sections through which the shaking or dumping crank is inserted. Each opening 26 is adapted to be closed by a swinging cover 27, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the furnace, the doors are closed and the ash pit is supplied with water to a height corresponding with the lower edge of the doors 20, so that the ash pit is entirely closed to the atmosphere. Ashes are removed by scraping them through the water to the front of the pit, after which they can be lifted by means of a shovel. It is not necessary or desirable to ordinarily open the doors during this operation. The draft for supporting combustion is maintained by the forced draft device that discharges air or steam into the space of the ash pit immediately below the grate. By opening the ash pit doors, the grate sections can be readily removed through the opening 18 of the furnace front. To remove the grate sections, each section is lifted at its front end out of the bearing 16 and then pulled forwardly out of the fire box while its weight rests on the front supporting bar 14. It will thus be seen that the removal of the grate sections is readily accomplished. By making the grates in sections in the manner described, the shaking out of the ashes from the fire box, or dumping the same, can be conveniently and expeditiously done, and this Without materially checking the fire. The hot ashes fall into the water in the ash pit and are immediately cooled, so that damage to the grate by overheating is prevented.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and, while I have de scribed the principle of operation of the in vention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as are within the scope of the claims.

W hat is claimed is In a furnace the combination with side walls, a bridge wall, a basin arranged between the walls, and a front wall extending into the basin and having an opening thereunder; of supporting bars surrounded by the walls, agrate composed of removable sec tions supported on the bars, separate means for each section for holding the sections against tilting movement in one direction, and lapping doors upon the front wall and having openings therein adjacent the front ends of the bars, said openings being disposed to receive means for engagement with the respective bars to tilt the bars, each of said bars being tiltable transversely to direct ashes solely toward the center of the basin thereunder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES BUSH.

' IVitnesses:

ESTHER DIAMOND, J. F. REILLY. 

